With Valentine's Day right around the corner, you probably have giving and/or receiving chocolates, roses and other goodies on your mind! But if you haven't actually started your shopping yet (like me!) you're in luck, because the folks at Fair Trade USA have put together a helpful and socially responsible gift guide.

When you shop Fair Trade, you're supporting products that come from farmers and workers who've been justly compensated. This is REALLY important when it comes to chocolate, since the bulk of the world's cocoa is harvested in West Africa by child and slave labor. Hershey's and most of the big candy conglomerates use slave labor to fill their heart-shaped boxes, but thankfully, there are sweeter alternatives.

Fair Trade also matters when it comes to flowers. Americans will buy more than 189 million stems of roses this Valentine's Day, the majority of which will travel all the way from Ecuador and Colombia. You can make sure that your long-stemmed symbols of love positively impact the lives of farm workers (many of whom are women) by looking for bouquets bearing the Fair Trade Certified logo.

If your local flower shop doesn't offer Fair Trade blooms, Fair Trade Certified roses can be found at Whole Foods Market. Just look for the big, beautiful blossoms and vivid colors with the green Whole Trade Guarantee sticker in the floral department. Before you hand over these special roses, make sure to read up on the farm they came from to add a sweet story to the gift.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment answering the following question:

Have you ever tried any Fair Trade products?

If so, what's your favorite?

To earn additional entries in this giveaway:

1. Follow our blog (publicly) and leave another comment (or if you already follow, let us know).2. Subscribe to the Mama Memo and leave another comment (or let us know if you already subscribe).3. Blog about the giveaway, and link back here. Post your blog entry before you comment.4. Add the Mama Manifesto button to your sidebar.5. Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway: "Giveaway! Check out #FairTrade goodies for Valentine's Day & Win Fair Trade Chocolate from @MamaManifesto. Enter at mamamanifesto.com"6. Become a fan of Mama Manifesto on Facebook by clicking the button on the left.

This giveaway will close Sunday, February 12, at 11 p.m.We'll announce the winners on Tuesday, February 14. Happy Valentine's Day!

15 comments:

I LOVE Fair Trade products! My favorite company is Equal Exchange. I use their baking cocoa quite a bit and I also really love their dark chocolate. I actually bought their valentines this year to pass out and spread the word on the fair trade products!

I'm not sure if Canadians may enter, but I'm intrigued enough by the idea of putting in quinoa in chocolate that I'm going to comment just in case. I've tried many fair trade products, and I think my favourite right now is Cocoa Camino unsweetened cocoa powder.

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married, mom of 4 : desperately trying to avoid buying a minivan : has a goal to fix her own lunch instead of grazing off her children : resident expert on psychology and sarcasm, regularly fantasizes about sleeping in, blogs at Rage Against the Minivan.

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